what are the rules for local pickup?

[casl-patr]

I sold an engine block, which is a fairly spendy item. It's on local pickup. The buyer paid for it, but there has been no communication from him at all over a couple of days, which I think is odd, particularly because it's over a thousand dollars. 

The description is clear about it being local pickup.  I could have sold this locally on Sunday, but because it was already purchased on ebay, I declined the sale to a local cash customer.  I'm not saying that he thinks shipping was included, but it seems that nobody reads anything anymore, so it wouldn't surprise me if he thinks it was.  

If push comes to shove on a deal like this, (buyer is about 6 hours straight south of me), what are the rules?

In my mind, it's his and he's obligated to come and get it or at least arrange his own shipping. 

[stuff4divas]

@casl-patr   here is the policy> https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/shipping-items/setting-shipping-options/local-pickup?id=4181

[casl-patr]

I read through that, and it says that to receive seller protection on a local pickup item, you have to have proof of pickup. 

If they don't pick it up, I guess that means you don't have proof and your item you want to sell is placed in limbo by the buyer at his discretion?  Seems like a catch-22 situation to me.  

My buyer paid, it's local pickup, and if he doesn't pick it up, then I am forced to refund and I lose value, IE "time is money" and vice versa. 

Hmmmm.........

[stuff4divas]

@casl-patr   did u put a time frame for pick up on your listing?

[casl-patr]

No, there is no time frame for pickup. He can store it as long as needed, but I just thought that spending 1450.00 bucks and then not messaging the seller or answering my messages was odd, but maybe it's not much money to this particular person.  I dunno. 

I'm going to try and call them tomorrow. I messaged twice and no answers. 

It appears to me that if they don't want to follow through, then at some point I have to refund. I will not disperse those funds to my checking account, and I'll just see what happens. I've sold local pickup before on big items, and even one of them went to an international shipper. All of those situations had good communication. This one is only the chirping of crickets so far. Usually, you get that when they don't pay. This is different, they did pay and no communication. 

[slippinjimmy]

At the time of your post it had only been 36 hours since the sale. The buyer has paid, I'm sure at some point they will make contact if for no other reason that to cancel so they can get their money back.

I don't see anything in the listing about a time frame when you expect to conclude the transaction.

[stuff4divas]

@casl-patr 

from the link i gave u >

Arranging pickup

In your item description or checkout instructions, specify when and how the buyer can collect the item. Don't add your full address, just the area will do. You may need to get in touch with them after the listing ends to confirm the details of the pickup.

Read our article on listing tips for more on how to list an item.

[monroe67]

"No, there is no time frame for pickup. He can store it as long as needed, but I just thought that spending 1450.00 bucks and then not messaging the seller or answering my messages was odd, but maybe it's not much money to this particular person.  I dunno. 

I'm going to try and call them tomorrow. I messaged twice and no answers."

I found your sold listing which does say: "It is local pickup. I will crate the engine, but you have to arrange and pay for the shipping. It has to be paid for within 3 days of purchase. I can hold it as long as you need it to be held. "

That highlighted sentence kind of locks you into the "storage" business.   You are on the receiving end of a very expensive failure, by that buyer, to communicate.   I sincerely hope you can get in contact with that buyer.   The ball is really in that buyer's court.  

As others have said, he may be trying to line up people to help him move that heavy and expensive engine block.   A more polite person would definitely tell you that.  

All that said -- I agree that eBay's User Agreement and policies and guidelines are lacking when it comes to "What Happens When a Local Pick-Up Does Not Get Picked Up?"  

[monroe67]

From the link you provided to the OP:
"In your item description or checkout instructions, specify when and how the buyer can collect the item."

That one little word there, "when", may be the answer to this problem, unfortunately for the OP.  I think he may have locked himself into the storage business, at least for this engine block.    

I thank you for posting this policy or guideline from eBay.  For local pickups, I knew that the seller got to choose the location for the pickup, but I did not know about the timing or method.    

[casl-patr]

I do not mind storing something for somebody that has to travel a distance to pick up. It's not a problem. 

I guess the problem I have is that there is a possibility that the customer could opt out on a whim, at a time of his choosing, which literally is a limbo situation. However, I do have the use of his money over that period of time, which cannot be discounted. 

I'm probably just over analyzing the situation, but it does create questions. 

When you do your dilligence and you list things accurately, you would like to sell in such a manner that you are protected. It seems that in this situation, you aren't really protected. 

How long can they dilly dally and then ask for a refund, that would be one question. 

[1richdoug]

Couple things here;  your only real error was the "when" part of deal. IMO, he may be finding a buyer himself, and will simply use you as the area to pick it up.Or, he will tell Ebay it is wrong size and that will call for a refund. as others have stated- there is really no fight here; you will always have to refund!  you have no other options as a seller here.  "I can hold it as long as you need it to be held"; that gives him plenty of time to sell it.  Most people, if wanted it, would be there the next day! if , no answer in 2-3 days-cancel and refund.

[monroe67]

"It seems that in this situation, you aren't really protected." 

Again, to quote from your own listing:  "I can hold it as long as you need it to be held."
How to say it, how to say it.  It could be argued that you did not protect yourself.  

You did not specify a date or a last possible date for the pickup.  Indeed, you stated -- in your listing -- for everyone in the world to see -- that you can hold it as long as the buyer needs.  

I sure hope you were able to reach your buyer and try to arrange a good time and place for pickup.  One thing that has occurred to me over the last couple of hours thinking about this situation -- is it feasible and/or practical for you to meet up with your buyer roughly halfway between your location in Missouri and his location in Oklahoma?  If gasoline prices are still high, that might be a factor for your buyer.  

As for you having "use of his money," it seems reasonable for you not to spend it.  First, it's a lot of money and, second, you are still storing that engine block which, because he paid for it, is now the property of the buyer.   If it were me, I would not spend the money until I see that buyer drive off with the engine block in the back of a truck.   

"How long can they dilly dally and then ask for a refund, that would be one [additional] question."  

In this case, I would think -- though I don't know; I'm just trying to be reasonable and apply some kind of logic to this situation -- if I sell A Thing to a buyer and mail it to him/her, I think (but am not positive) that buyer has something like a day or two, maybe 24 to 48 hours, after the expected delivery date for that Thing to file an Item Not Received case.  I hope another poster can come along and quote chapter-and-verse on that timing more accurately than I have.  

However:  Your sale did not have a delivery date.  Because you stated that you can hold it as long as the buyer needs it to be hold.

I don't know what else you could do.  I hope you are trying to contact your buyer through eBay's messages.  Be polite, because eBay can read those messages and will, if either party opens a case.  

I'm going to go into my selling ID's listings now and add a time limit to all the items that offer local pickup.  

[soh.maryl]

Again, I stand by my reply:  Continue to try to contact him to make sure he is planning on making the pickup.  And then give him a reasonable deadline to do so.  That is usually done when first purchased BTW.

If unable to contact and he still does not arrive, you can give him as many days as you like, but don't go past 30.  No contact ever? cancel, refund and block.

If they don't pick up, you certainly don't want to keep the money AND the item, right?  

[casl-patr]

Okay, so let's get in the weeds on this one. 
 

You say he has to say it's the wrong size and ask for a refund. 

How would he know it's the wrong size if he hasn't picked it up?  I've not always had to refund. I've had several "doesn't fit" reasons that I denied and I refused a return on them. I wasn't forced to refund. Everybody told me I should, but I didn't because 

I might in this case, because I still have the merchandise, but if Judge Judy were here, she'd look at the deal and say, you agreed to buy it, you paid for it, and you also agreed to pick it up.  She would tell the buyer tough ****, you entered into a legally binding contract, or would she say, you agreed as the seller to abide by the terms of Ebay?

I know ebay has their platform and their own governing rules, but I would suppose that in the user's agreement I agree to their final decision over and above federal or state laws I guess. 

The reason why I ranted a bit is everybody says to refund all the time. Well, that makes me suspicious that's kind of being coerced a bit. IE, Ebay wants a buyer friendly platform with easy returns, etc and they pressure sellers to do that. I have no clue why people answer other people's questions on the Ebay community. I thought maybe some of you were invited by Ebay to do that or perhaps you got a perk out of doing it. 

[the_fancy_fox]

Ebay has sent your buyer a code. You need to scan that code into your transaction. This proves the buyer picked the item up.  

Should the buyer come and pick up, without the code, do not give him the block. 

to figure out what this buyer is doing, I would send him a friendly email telling him that ebay will have sent him a code and that he needs to bring it with him when he comes and picks it up. And oh by the way, does he have any idea when he’s going to be around so that you can schedule time to be there

[silverstatetreasureboxes]

@casl-patr 

This is about the only written rule I found on local pickup.

 Generally when you offer local pickup, ebay steps aside and the rest of the dealings are between you the seller and your buyer.

    Granted most buyers who paid this much for an engine should be in contact with you. It was the weekend when you attempted to contact buyer so possibly he was busy.

     Good luck with this.